The Miami Dolphins no longer have “big and physical” atop their list of desired traits for draft prospects they plan to target.

Brandon Marshall needs someone to open up the field for him.

After coming to terms with the FACT the Dolphins were one of the slowest teams in the NFL last season - one that seriously lacked big plays for the second straight season – the team’s decision makers have altered the approach, putting a premium on speed and shake ability.

Owner Steve Ross is talking about it, publicly requesting a more explosive offense. General Manager Jeff Ireland admits he needs it, and coach Tony Sparano pledges to use it when/if he can find a stretch the field receiver, seam threat tight end and scat back who can roast a linebacker.

But according to Sparano, that doesn’t mean the cupboards are bare.

“We have some young guys who did not play last year, who are all different shapes and sizes,” Sparano said. “We have some guys who can really run…. We need to improve speed. But we have guys like Marlon Moore who can really run.”

Sparano was quick to points out his front line receivers – Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, Brian Hartline – collectively had career seasons for the position (Marshall and Bess set duo records), and career years (Bess and Hartline).

“I like the group. We were pretty productive,” Sparano said. “It’s been a topic of conversation since I’ve gotten the job here but (last season) that group really produced. They have done a good job of producing. Where we haven’t done it is down the field.

Tony Sparano says Brian Hartline has the speed to get open deep.

“When we lost Brian (Hartline) at the time he was the highest average (14.3 yards per catch) guy. Of course Brandon (Marshall) brings great productivity to the position, and can be a guy who catches a little one and goes long, or catch a long one. In fairness to those guys we need to advance the ball down the field better and that’s something we’ve been working on this offseason.

Is that problem quarterback Chad Henne, who has shown limited accuracy on his deep balls, the team’s lack of speed, troublesome protection, or what some would label vanilla playcalling?

“I would tell you it’s a little bit of everything. That ain’t a cop out answer. It just is,” Sparano said. “You can’t say it’s Chad’s fault. It wasn’t Dan Henning’s fault. It wasn’t this guy’s fault. There were opportunities where we have the green light to get the ball down the field and don’t have the protection, and it might not be the lines fault we don’t have the protection right….

“At the end of the day we have to take more opportunities to go down the field and to do that we also have to infuse a little bit more a.) creativity, and b.) speed.”

A quarterback with the guts to pull the trigger wouldn’t hurt either (if I’m allowed to add my two cents).

Sparano said trading away Ted Ginn Jr., the one speed receiver on the 2009 roster, didn’t set the offense back. He points out the organization made that trade because Hartline was ready to elevate his role, and he did, catching 43 passes for 615 yards and one touchdown before breaking his finger.

“Brian can run. He is a fast guy. I don’t know if people would classify Brian as a speed guy but I do,” Sparano said. “Brian gets behind people a bunch of times and we just haven’t made the play one way or the other. This guy can run, and he can scare people that way a little bit….Marlon Moore is a guy who can run fast. Might be the fastest guy we have.”

Sparano said he’s hoping Moore will play the game faster in his second season. The same goes for Roberto Wallace, who also has 4.4 speed, and former UM tight end Dedrick Epps, who has seam threat potential.

“At the end of the day we were a 7-9 team, but one thing we did do a good job of was developing some young players. We had 33 players who have three years or less (of experience) play almost 13,000 snaps,” Sparano said. “Marlon Moore is one of those players. I hope he takes the next step but we’ll see how that goes.”

So, how would you address the Dolphins’ desires to add the type of playmakers that can inject big plays into this offense?

I likes Kaep’s upside if we can trade down. I presume we can’t get Newton. Given all that, the pick 15 for Mallet makes a lot of sense. The rumors about all his partying are not backed by anything & he was in COLLEGE.

I think we should pick D/Special teams with those 7th round picks. We need BPA on Off. and since we need every position, the worst/biggest reach still wouldn’t be more than 10 spots if the board is executed professionally.

The presser video doesn’t show the meltdown. Apparently at some point, he got tired of being asked the same question, and he stormed off the podium like a big baby who didn’t want to play that game anymore.

CB
I agree with you on the (melt down LOL) he did not like the ? but he did not blow up like the media said he did. He may be the most nfl ready but his mobility and rumurs (lol) of workethic and leadship have him a late 1st early 2nd. I have seen the film and if giving time in the pocket he is a beast but if the pocket starts to come apart so does Mallet, bad throws are the norm if pressure comes ( not good in this league).
He may be there in the 2nd if we can get one and would be good value there IMO.

In a perfect world, I agree. However, sometimes no one will trade with you. If that happens & we pick 15 & then not again until 79, you think reaching a couple spots to fill a need is that bad? I don’t think it’s that scientific. I think 10 spots is a lot in the top 10, but once you get to the 5th round, it’s nothing.

Mike E
Mallet did not storm out of the press conference, he did not like the ?s that they were being asked and answered the same ? over and over again. When his time was up I will agree he got up and left without answering anymore unlike some of the other players did and he seemed to leave rather quickly LOL! but he stayed for his alotted time.

I watched a handheld video of the presser. Agreed it may not have been as bad as reported, but the fact is, it’s not for the kid to decide when the questions end, and just like a kid in a job interview, you have to answer the tough questions, and be mature enough to stick it out, or you face the consequences. It was a dumbazz move on his part that could cost him.

I was under the impression that he DIDN’T stay for the allotted time. Personally, he seems like a doosh, and I wouldn’t want him on my team, but that’s JMO. All the reports stated he left early, before it was finished, so I have no idea which is the truth.

We have been reaching on players as long as I can remember and soffered for it. We reach for position instead of BPA and end up leaving the beter players for the better teams that are behind us in the draft. The reason why the worse teams get the higher draft picks is so they can get the better players and get more competitive, if they reach based on posotion and not talent they end up without the best football player and the team that was better than them end up with the better player.

If you need a OL and the BPA is a DE and there is a OL that is 2 or 3 slots up Im fine with that but 10 spots is over board and kills our draft. In the later rds when the player start to blend together yes position is fine but the st 3 rds should always be BPA or right at BPA…..

JAllen and TGinn are perfect examples of reaches, JAllen was a tweener and everyone knew it, I remember right after he was picked the experts all were in agreement that he was picked to high and was a tweener type that will jump from S to CB and back again ( dead on Kiper LOL).

Ginn was not a #9 pick…. He was a great return guy in college but not a top WR, and all the experts said he did not catch the ball with his hands ( wha woo) but with his body and he did not have the killer instinct that a top WRs have ( dead on TJackson). I just remember after hearing TJackson say that I had a bad feeling about him (he was a jet killer so not all bad LOL) and Tom was right. BPA is the way to go in the 1st 3 rds IMHO and most would agree I think.

#15 there are a couple of routes that can happen
1st a QB slides to us dout it but possable
2nd a top WR can fall to us not any morelikly than QB
3rd A top OT can fall to us much more likly
4th Ingram the most likly
5th a passrusher may be BPA when #15 comes
6th my fav we trade back and get 2 for 1 pick.
Those are the options at #15, pick wisely Ireland your job is on the line

CB Mallet is a statue and when the pressure come he makes bad throws. That is my only concearn, all the other stuff is rumur and half truths hlf lies. Bottom line he has a big arm, comes from a pro O system and has size. He has issues with mobility and there may be some leadership ?s. You can not teach mobility and and leadership skills but you can not teach size and a cannon arm either. A late 1st early 2nd would be good value for him IMO.

CB says:
March 28, 2011 at 5:45 pm
I’d have to see it. I don’t have a lot of respect for the media so I wouldn’t say that repeating the same thing for their interrogation is the same as the team interviews, JMO.

Agreed and that’s what it was each reporter in turn asking the same question worded differently. I didn’t see the problem with Mallett.

Me neither, and I don’t see how dolphin fans aren’t beset my memories of Dan Marinos “alleged” off field issues when he was with Pitt. Leadership, maturity, drug use…yeah…he really struggled in those areas as a pro didn’t he?

Mallet didn’t ingratiate himself and flirt with the press. That’s all he’s guilty of, and I personally don’t give a damn. John Beck was a real press pleaser, and that didn’t matter either.

The guy is trying to position himself for a muli-million dollar payday (likely the most valuable work he’ll ever do) and if interacting with the press will only cause him to lose money by possibly saying the wrong thing, I have no problem with him not indulging the hearsay, sensationalism driven reporters who couldn’t care less about him, but whether they get a few more eyeballs on their column tomorrow.

The idea that Mallet has ever done anything to merit questions about his charachter is completely contrived, and irrelevant to me.

Also, I think his lack of mobility is only slightly more pertinent and slightly less talked about then his behavior at this particular press interaction.

If Mallet has a top pass protecting OL he will kill Ds, he can make every throw with pace and accuracy but if a defense wants to commit enough players to pass rush there is nothing you can do but beat the blitz and I have not seen Mallet do that in college consistantly and that will be what he nneds to overcome to be a top QB in this league. Without a top passprotecting Ol he is worthless….. A statue can not protect himself.

Mallett’s lack of toughness in the pocket bothers me, and I think that’s where the “statue” aspect comes in. If he’s in a cocoon, he’s fine. When pressure comes at him, he makes mistakes, and doesn’t have the footwork like Marino had, where he can sidestep the rush, or the foot speed to run out of the pocket to extend the play, like Roethisberger or Rodgers. Instead, he folds like a lawn chair. Marino was so different from Mallett in the pocket, they shouldn’t be in the same sentence.

Sean G, get Mallett the seam threat TE and open up our passing game and it becomes difficult to blitz him. He’ll hit the quick routes to keep the D back. With Mallett size will help him a lot in our offense, he’ll see the field much better than Henne and be able to complete more through the line where Henne has a lot of batted balls.
Mallett, a pass catching TE, speedy backs and some O-line help we’d be tough.

Jahndoh
He makes bad throws when the pocket starts to brake down, thats a problem right?
I understand what you are saying but when the pressure comes it would be nice to see your QB move out of the pocket and still get yds out of it weather it is with his feet or roll out pass. He just does not have that and the film shows it. You give him time he will cut the D up, if he does not have the time he will kill his team. I do not know how he gets over his lack of mobility at the next level because he could not get over it in college.

I would draft him late 1st or early 2nd and build a passprotecting OL around him and try to protect his flaws as much as possable.

Mike E
Marino had eyes in the back of his head man, he would step up in the pocket at the perfect time and the DE would run right by him, he would hit the WR in stride. He had a nack for it and I do not thing it can teach it. Marino would move just enough to by a sec and with that quick release he had no draw back when he saw the opening it was out of is hands and on a rope and you can not teach that either.

Son
I am all for Mallet as long as it is late 1st early 2nd because that is where his value is. #15 with his mobility problems and leadership ?s I do not see the value there.
I can not predict his worth only what I know and the film says he has a cannon, pro style in college and size, if he gets time he distroys Ds. He has mobility issues and makes bad throws when the pocket caves in on him. A late 1st or early 2nd is a great pick IMO.

CB
March 28, 2011 at 5:37 pm
Need QB to push Henne & replace Pennington.
Need RB to replace Ronnie or Ricky or both + Pat Cobbs.
Need LG (the only one we’ve had in past 4-5 years was Smiley).
Need C/RG to play the spot that Richie can’t.
Need OT to push Vern & backup Jake.
Need TE to play #2 & backup Fasano
Need Speed WR to play opposite B.Marsh since Defenses didn’t respect deep threat last year.
Need KR since Ginn is gone.

CB, I feel you have to replace Ronnie and Ricky first and worry about Cobbs later. He’ll be a year+ removed from his knee injury and he plays a lot of roles including STs. In a limited role last year he actually produced pretty well as a receiver.

8-91 11.4 2TD 29lg As for RG we have to pencil in Jerry as a possibility there or even Incognito if we try to find another center.

We might have to find the best backup OT of the bunch from what we already have in Garner, McQuistan and Murtha. Murtha will also be a year+ removed from a series of injuries he suffered early on in his career and in college. That kid has physical tools.

I agree on QB, LG, TE and WR. KR may not be a big deal now that 90% of kickoffs will be touchbacks.

In my mind, adding Mark Ingram and Christian Ponder seems to make a lot of sense.. But, I really like what I have seen from Ryan Mallet, and Ponder kind of seems like he might go either way in the NFL. If we get Mallet, then Ingram is gone.. I don’t know much about any of the other running backs though. I’m hoping that Kory Sheets is a guy that might surprise us and get some significant playing time next season, but maybe I’ve just been playing too much Madden.

I’ve seen him listed as high as #35 or so from sites I consider reputable. Any site that has Ponder at #15 I won’t even bother with. That’s a typical need mock draft and I’m not into those.

For the record, back in 2008 I saw Henne listed between #35 and #45 and we got him at #57. So these rankings give you an idea but it’s not perfect. Sometimes prospects between #35 and #60 aren’t that different. It comes down to which prospect a particular team covets.

Mike E, QBs with Ponder’s skill set have to be no earlier than the 2nd rd, IMO. He doesn’t have enough elite skills if any, maybe mobility. But even then in the NFL take that down a notch because everyone is big, strong and fast. And if Ponder got hurt a lot in college, what’s gonna happen in the NFL?

If he goes 2nd rd not a big deal. #15 or even top 20, no way. If a playoff team wants to reach for him in the 1st as a backup behind a top QB, I can kind of see that. But I’m not sure he’s a top NFL starting QB.

Ponder is what he is. He has very limited upside, he’s not going to get much better. He’ll be average at best IMO. Plus, add in the fact his lack of durability, and he goes down another notch right there.

I think what happens with the top 2, will give everyone an idea of what’s going to happen to the 2nd tier QB’s. Mallett could go just about the same time as Newton and Gabbert, meaning in the 1st RD, but after Newton and Gabbert. I think all the rest, like Locker, Kaepernick, Ponder, Dalton and Stanzi could go later than recently expected, if Newton and Gabbert don’t go Top 10. I wouldn’t be shocked if Ponder, Kaep and Dalton go 3rd RD if Gabbert and Newton fall a bit, with Stanzi probably going in the 4th.

we really dont have the luxury to only look at bpa and ignore need. if the best player available is a kick returner, we have to ignore bpa and go with someone we can actually use. to much is made of bpa only. actually, you should select bpa and actually need the guy you selected. it doesnt make sense to take a half point rated higher guy at a postion you dont need. the fins have so many needs, we arent close to being in a position to ignore our needs and select bpa only. we have to do both at the same time. if cameron wakes backup is rated higher than someone that can help us go to the playoffs next year, we would be foolish to pick that guy. we arent one-two players away, we have almost every need except outside linebacker, dl, and kr. we are ok there. true ginn was a great returner, but now the ball boy can kneel down kicks just as good as the other teams ball boys. we wouldnt be able to trade ginn now, that was actually a good timed trade before the rule change

when using the bpa approach, you have to consider needs at the same time. the fins have a great defense and a horrible offense. we cant waste picks on defensive players no matter what they are rated at

the draft terms reach and bust are not equal to each other, but often confused as being equal.
a reach, means you could have had the player lower in the draft than you picked him.
a bust, means the player isnt nfl quality and is cut from the team
reaches may or may not be nfl quality, so its possible to reach and bust
you cant call busts reaches and heres why.
pat white has been called reach and bust
technically he might have been a reach cause we could have got him later
but honestly he isnt a reach, hes a bust. ask yourself this, if pat white was selected in the third rd instead of the second, would he still be on the team>
no matter what pick was used on white, he would have still been cut. white isnt a reach, hes a huge mistake at any round. dont agree? then you think pat white would have made the team at a lesser round? when you cut a player, its because you dont think he can help your team, regardless of what round he was picked. jamarcus russell was the first selection of the draft, reach? he sure seemed like a reach, bust? he cant play ball at all, so he wasnt worth lower rd picks either. hes a huge mistake, one of the worst ever. a true reach isnt all that scary and can be beneficial. a true reach means that you filled a need on your team at the expense of blindly going with bpa. many reaches are in the hall of fame, no busts are in the hof, think about how the terms get confused the fins wanna reach? thats fine, they wanna bust? no way, if you reach, the guy better be good and all is vindicated and you even look smart by fooling the mocks.

OMAR KELLY was unsuccessful at achieving his childhood dream to become a super hero, so he figured he'd do the next best thing and become a journalist who fights against injustice, and searches for truth. After being bored to death reporting news and covering politics, he switched to sports.
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IZZY GOULD joined the Sun Sentinel in Feb. 2012 as a Senior Sports Reporter on the Miami Dolphins beat. He came to South Florida fresh off covering the University of Alabama football program, including its 2011 national championship team. More